A Classy Evening with Tea and the Ballet

This past week was filled with various pound trips and experiences that brought me closer to British culture. It was probably my busiest week here in London, but I loved every minute of it. The week started off with another trip to the theatre, then afternoon tea on Wednesday followed by Cinderella, the ballet. Thursday we went on the Camden music tour and were able to witness the London music scene and the following day visited the Linley Sambourne House and stepped straight into 19^th century London. Saturday was busy with a daytrip to Stonehenge and Salisbury and then Sunday we were finally able to attend a London football match! My favorite part of this event-filled week was when we attended traditional English afternoon tea at the Gore Hotel and then later traveled to the London Coliseum for Cinderella, the ballet.

 I had been anticipating our classy afternoon of tea since my arrival here in London and it was well worth the wait. The elegant Gore Hotel was the perfect destination for our classy meal of tea and delicious delicacies. Our meal began with scrumptious, petite sandwiches with various fillings, followed by two soft and delicious scones, topped with cream and succulent jelly. My favorite part of the meal came at the end: dessert. Dessert is often my favorite past-time, but these delicious sweets exceeded my expectations. There were melt-in-your-mouth éclairs, dangerously rich brownies, and small lemon tarts that were the perfect treat to top off the meal. The tea was, of course, a constant essential to the meal and was refilled throughout our meal.

            After tea, I was left feeling more stuffed than I ever anticipated an English afternoon tea affecting me and wanting to change out of my restrictive dress clothes and into my sweats, but I dealt with my discomfort and looked forward to my night at the ballet. I hadn’t had much exposure to the ballet prior to my sophisticated night out, other than the few trips to the Nutcracker over Christmas with my grandmother, but was excited to experience something new and foreign to me in London. I found the ballet extremely beautiful and moving. I’m not exactly passionate about dance, but was amazed by how beautifully the dancers moved and their flawless perfection throughout the ballet’s entirety. I was mesmerized by the ballet and impressed by how they were able to incorporate comedy into such a stunning performance. My trip to the ballet was a success and left me with a new interest in ballet that I never would have foreseen.

            This day where we experienced traditional English afternoon tea and Cinderella at the ballet left me feeling like a true Londoner. I have always been struck by how classy and elegant the people of London are and this day seemed to capture the essence of the sophisticated socialite in London. I loved sipping tea with my new friends and then ending the night with a relaxing trip to the ballet. This seven pound week made me feel more at home here in London and much too aware of the fact that I will be leaving London in less than three weeks. However, I need to live in the moment and enjoy London while I can, instead of dwelling on my departure date.